Home Airport Model Aircraft and DronesOperating in Manassas Airspace

Operating in Manassas Airspace

Effective February 10, 2016 at 12:01AM, UAS operations will be permitted to operate in the outer ring of the SFRA, which is 15 to 30 miles from Washington DC. Manassas Regional Airport (HEF), which operates a Class D airspace, resides within this outer ring. Information regarding new operating procedures can be found through the revised NOTAM (Notice to Airmen).

If you are operating a model aircraft or UAS/Drone inside the HEF airspace/SFRA, the FAA has the following guidelines:

Register your drone
Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles
Keep your drone within your line of sight
Respect privacy
Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports
Never fly over groups of people, public events, or stadiums full of people
Never fly near emergencies such as fires or hurricane recovery efforts
Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Understand airspace restrictions and requirements

To determine if there are any restrictions or requirements at your location, please reference the B4UFLY app or AirMap.

Information regarding the DC SFRA or FRZ procedures should be directed to the FAA System Operations Security Representative at the National Capital Region Coordination Center (NCRCC) at 9-awa-ats-ncrcc@faa.gov or by calling (866) 598-9522.

Fly for Work
If you have a Remote Pilot Certificate and are following part 107 rules, you must get permission from air traffic control to fly in the Manassas airspace. Requests can be made by using the going to FAA's Drone Zone or AirMap.

Fly for Fun
Recreational flying in the Manassas airspace is currently prohibited. In the future, recreational flyers will be able to obtain authorization from the FAA to fly in the airspace. The FAA currently has a system called the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), which is available to non-recreational pilots who operate under the FAA’s small drone rule (Part 107). The FAA is upgrading LAANC to allow recreational flyers to use the system. For now, recreational flyers who want to operate in controlled airspace may only do so at the fixed sites. Recreational sites can be found on the FAA Drone Map.